The Pie Man

27/08/2026

RIP Nan ❤️

Another very special customer has passed away.

Teri Morris — or Nan, as I knew her and so many others did too.

It is getting harder and harder to say goodbye to people who have been part of The Pie Man family for so many years. When I started the bakery, I never imagined that I would become so connected to the people who walked through the door every day. I thought I was opening a bakery and serving customers.

I didn't realise I was becoming part of a community.

And that community has become family.

Nan was certainly one of those people. ❤️

My heart goes out to all of Nan's moko, with Mere Tikitiki at the top of that list, and to Pounamu and the rest of the whānau.

We saw how much Nan did for her moko, and especially for Mere. It wasn't unusual to see them coming into the bakery before school to get Nan's coffee. Those little everyday moments are the things that stick with you.

And I have to share one of my favourite memories of Nan. 😂

One of my first proper memories of meeting her was when she came into the bakery and asked for a "Pepper Pig Pie."

Yes… a Pepper Pig Pie. 🐷😂

I giggled, but happily handed her a bacon and egg pie.

A few minutes later Nan came back and told me I'd given her the wrong pie.

She had actually asked for a pepper steak pie.

Naturally, I worked out pretty quickly what had happened. 😂

I apologised and told her I'd heard her ask for a Pepper Pig Pie.

"No I did not!" she exclaimed.

Which made me giggle even more because Nan genuinely had absolutely no idea what she'd just said. 😂

I gave her a proper steak and pepper pie, and thankfully she saw the funny side of it too.

That was Nan.

And she went on to become one of my favourite customers. 😍

That's one of the hardest parts of being part of such an awesome community. You don't just lose customers.

You lose people you have laughed with, talked to, looked after, and watched become part of your everyday life.

Rest peacefully, Nan. ❤️

Thank you for being part of The Pie Man family.

RIP Nan. 🕊️❤️

23/08/2026

The Pie Man
14 Bledisloe Road
Maraenui, Napier
7.30am to 3pm

20/08/2026

Thank you to the lovely person who left these beautiful 😍 💐 on our door this morning!

19/08/2026

What does it take to run 🏃‍♂️ a marathon?

What does it actually feel like to run a marathon?

How much training does it take?

How many steps do you do on marathon day?

54,443.
Yes, I counted. Well… my Garmin watch counted. I'm not THAT bored. 😂

How do you lose weight while running a bakery?

And perhaps the question I get asked most…

“What’s your secret?”

These are all questions I get asked regularly by our customers.

So I thought perhaps it’s time we answered some of them.

The short version?

Running a marathon takes months of training, a slightly questionable relationship with pain, a lot of early mornings and late nights. The ability to convince yourself that running 30+ kilometres on purpose is somehow a good idea.

Running a marathon feels… well… absolutely fantastic.

Until it doesn’t. 😂

And running a bakery while trying to lose weight?

That's probably the hardest question of the lot.

Imagine spending your working day surrounded by pies, sausage rolls, donuts, slices and other things specifically designed to destroy your willpower…

…and then deciding you should probably eat fewer of them.

Excellent business plan, Roger. 🤦‍♂️😂

As for the secret?

There really isn't one.

But over the next few posts, I might answer some of these questions properly — including the training, the weight loss, the marathon itself, and what 54,443 steps actually feels like.

And yes…

I still eat pies. 🥧😂 lots

The Pie Man
14 Bledisloe Road
Maraenui Napier
7.30am to 3pm

19/08/2026

18/08/2026

The struggle is real. 😂 Let’s be honest… let’s talk about the elephant 🐘 in the room.

It’s cold. 🥶
Everyone is sick. 🤧
It’s wet. 🌧️
And absolutely NO ONE wants to go outside.

Meanwhile, I’m eating everything in sight like I’m still training for the marathon. It’s not going well. 😂

I want to run, but the post-marathon body fatigue has hit hard, and getting sick on top of it hasn’t helped.

“Oh, that looks nice… just one.”

Three minutes later…

Three. 🤦‍♂️😂

Houston, we have a problem.

I NEED to get back out there and start running. The planned events are coming up fast!

Because let’s be honest…

Cape Kidnappers Trail Run isn’t going to run itself. 🏃‍♂️⛰️

So enough excuses.

Lace up. Get outside. Get moving.

LET’S GO! 💪🔥

The Pie Man
14 Bledisloe Road
Maraenui Napier
Monday to Friday
7.30am to 3pm

16/08/2026

Which one are you? 🥧

When it comes to pies, there are plenty of choices. And that's a good thing.

All of these pies have a place in the market. Different people want different things at different times. Sometimes price is the most important thing. Sometimes it's convenience. Sometimes you want something really bloody good. And sometimes you want the whole café experience.

As a bakery, you also have to decide which customer you want to serve.

One business can't realistically be the cheapest possible pie, the everyday bakery pie, the premium quality pie and the café experience all at the same time.

So... where do you fit?

🥧 The cheapest possible pie

Price is everything. Quality? Not really a consideration.

You might be grabbing a microwaved pie from a service station or dairy because you're hungry and it's cheap.

It does the job. Moving on. 😆

🥧 The cheap bakery pie

An entry-level bakery pie.

A big step up from the dairy pie, but price is still the major requirement.

It's an everyday staple for many people — affordable, filling and convenient.

🥧 The quality bakery pie

Now we're talking.

This is where the focus shifts to the actual pie.

Good pastry. Generous filling. Proper flavour.

The kind of pie that makes you stop halfway through eating it and think:

"Oh... this is good."

Maybe it even brings back a childhood memory of what a really good bakery pie used to taste like.

But there's still one important requirement:

It needs to be affordable.

Because it's still a bakery pie. It's made for everyday people, not just special occasions.

🥧 The café or restaurant pie

Now we're into the premium pie experience.

The pie might be heated while you wait, served with a salad and a latte, and enjoyed sitting down rather than eaten in the car on the way to work.

And that's great too.

But you're paying for more than just the pie. You're paying for the extra staff, service, surroundings and overall experience.

So where do we fit?

Here at The Pie Man, we've deliberately chosen the quality bakery pie.

We know we're not the cheapest.

And we're not going to pretend we are.

For us, quality comes first.

We want to make a pie that's genuinely good — a pie you look forward to eating. A pie that might remind you why a really good bakery pie was such a big part of growing up in New Zealand.

But we also believe that a quality pie shouldn't have to be a luxury.

Quality first. Affordable enough for everyday people.

That's the customer we're here to serve.

If that's your kind of pie, come in and give us a try. ❤️

The Pie Man
14 Bledisloe Road,
Maraenui, Napier
Monday–Friday, 7.30am–3pm

10/08/2026

Yum 😋

The Pie Man
14 Bledisloe Road
Maraenui Napier
7.30am to 3pm
Monday to Friday

02/08/2026

Well... I actually did it! 🏅

42.2 km ✔️

My first ever marathon ✔️

My watch time: 3:45:17 😊

What an incredible day! Months of training, early mornings, long runs, sore legs, plenty of gels, and more than a few moments of wondering, "What on earth have I signed up for?" 😄

First and foremost, thank you to my amazing wife. ❤️ She was there every step of the way, from supporting me through months of training to waiting halfway around the course with my fresh drink belt. I honestly couldn't have done it without her. You're my biggest supporter, and I'm so grateful.

A huge thank you to my kids, Sophie and Ryan, for coming to Taupō to support me. Having my family there at the finish meant the world. And a massive congratulations to Ryan, who also completed the half marathon, collecting his 5th half marathon medal! I'm incredibly proud of you. ❤️

A huge thank you also to Darrell, who made the trip to Taupō to support both me and his wife during the race. Having familiar faces out there gave me a real boost.
To everyone who sent messages before, during and after the marathon... thank you! I had no idea so many of you were actually live tracking me throughout the race! It was pretty special hearing afterwards how many people were following along and cheering me on from home.

A special thank you to Robert for the phone call afterwards to congratulate me. It meant a lot.

And to all of our wonderful customers who have been asking for months, following my training, and patiently waiting to see this post to make sure I actually finished... 😂 Yes, I made it!

There was a small technical timing issue near the end of the course, so the official results have since been adjusted for many runners. It's really not a big deal—my watch recorded 3:45:17, and that's the time I'm proudly claiming. 😊

Finally, thank you to everyone who wished me luck, encouraged me, and understood why we closed the bakery for the long weekend. Your support meant more than you probably realise.
Now... enough running.

Who's ready for pies and donuts again on Tuesday? 🥧🍩😄

The Pie Man

29/07/2026

🍺 LAST CALL! 🍺🍻

This is your final chance to get your pie and donut fix before we reopen on Tuesday!

We've topped the cabinets up one last time, including plenty of our viral Palusami Pies that everyone has been talking about. If you haven't tried one yet... today is your chance! 😋

A huge thank you to everyone who has been coming in this week, wishing me luck, asking how the training is going, and following the marathon journey. The support from our amazing customers has honestly meant a lot.

Well... reality is setting in. 😳

42.2km is a very long way to run.

And just like Ken keeps saying... "You must be mad!" 😂

He's probably right!

After weeks of training, late evening runs, freezing runs, sore legs, and plenty of self-doubt, it's finally here. On Saturday I'll be standing on the start line for my very first marathon.

It's going to be interesting... and hopefully I'll still be able to walk afterwards! 😅

Just a reminder of our opening hours:

❌ Friday 31st July – Closed (rest day)
❌ Saturday 1st August – Marathon Day! 🏃‍♂️
❌ Sunday – Closed as usual
❌ Monday 3rd August – Closed for recovery (because walking may be optional! 😂)

We'll be back from Tuesday, ready to do it all again.

Thanks again for all your support. Wish me luck... I'm going to need it! 🤞🏅

The Pie Man
14 Bledisloe Road
Maraenui, Napier